Valve gear mechanism



July 10, 1945. E; A. NIX

VALVE GEAR MECHANISM Filed'July 8, 1 943 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQR I EBMUNDANIX W22 ATTOR N EYS July 10, 1945. v E. A. NIX 2,380,369

VALVE GEAR MECHANISM Filed July 8, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllll ll 50 47 62 l /7 "H H B6 26 275 11112 gs 30v 375 j l F1416 F165 INVENTOR EDMUND.A.N\X

ATTORNEYS July 10, 1945. E. A. NIX $380,369

VALVE GEAR MECHANISM Filed July 8, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR EDMUND-AND July 10, 1945. EA. NIX 2,380,369

' VALVE GEAR MECHANISM Filed July a, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' l NV ENTOR EDMUND.A.N IX

4 BY j a assembly shown'in Fig.2

Patented July 10, 1945 I I D S T- 11 A E OFF C v as- I slgnor to Dominion Hoist & Shovel Company Limited,-Lachine,'Quebec, Canada Application July 8, 1943, Seriallfilo. 493,883 I 4' Claims. (01. 121, 41)

' This invention relates to valve-gear for controlling the operation of a fluid motor and is hereindescribed as applied to a'compressed-air motor of the reciprocating piston/type.

a An object of this invention is to, provide valve- 5 gear mechanism especially adapted for controlling the bucket operating motor of the loading machine described and claimed in my U. S. Patent No. 2,334,835, granted Nov. 23,1943.

Another object is to provide a generally i mdo proved and simplified reversing valve-gear mechanism'of semi-automatic type in which aman ually operable valve memberand 'a cooperating automatic or floating valve member conjointly control the now of pressure fluid to and from 5 the cylinder of a fluid motor, the-manually operablejvalve being shiftable relatively to theautomatid'valve to thereby establish connections through which pressure fluid issuppl ed to and exhaustedfrom different portions .of fthe motorigo cylinder to thereby operate said piston and said automaticfvalvebeing operated by the 'piston to disrupt said connections when the piston has completed a travelling movement which, in'. direction'and'extentj' i'spredetermine'd by' the direction andextent of the'aforesaid'shiftingof the manually operable valve 7 relative' to the automatic'or floating valve.

Other objects; advantages and characteristic features of. the invention will"be,. more readily understood" from thefollowing detailed desr'ip tion taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,.in which I Fig; *1 is a side elevation'al viewlof a loading machine equipped with my invention. In this view I hav shown, in f'side'elevation, only; .those elements ofthe loading machine which are'necessary to an understanding of my invention.

Fig; 2 is a longitudinal sectional, view of a valve assembly forming part of my improved valvegear mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the body'portion-of the valve casing shown in Fig. 2.

' Fig. 4 is an inner-end elevation of the casing section shown in Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is' an outer-end elevation of the. casing section shown in Fig. 3. V I Fig. 6 is an outer-end elevation of the cover section of the valve casing shown in Fig. 2. Y Fig.1 is a plan view of-the inner sideof the floating or automatic valve member forming part (tithe-complete valve assembly shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the outer side of the manually operable valve member of the valve the line Iii-16 f Fig. 14. v As illustrated in these drawings my improved.

Figs. 9' "11013 'are diagrams illustrating the manner in which the two previously mentioned valves areshifted relativelyto each other to control the .oper'ation of the air motor of. the loading machine shownin Fig. 1.

Fig. 14 is'a view, similar to Fig. 2, but shows a modifications in which a holding discv is arranged in pressure contact withthe manually operablecontrol valve to frictio'nally retain the latter stationary in any position to which it is turned by the. associated hand lever. I

Fig. 15 is a plan view of the outer side of the slightly modified form of manually operable valve included in the assembly shown in Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is'aisection taken substantially along The loading bucket 5"is carried between and I rigidly secured to the lower ends .of a pairof bucket carryin'garmsfi (only oneof which isshown in the present drawings). vThe bucket carrying arms are'normally disposed in the vertical position shown in Fig.1'l-and their upper ends are secured to the upper end of a normally verticalboom lflby pivotal connections 8. The

lower end of boom is keyed to a rock shaft 9 whichgconstitutes 'a pivotalaxis about which the boom is swun by anoperating motor comprising an air cylinder 10' mounted to swin about a horizontal axis; I I a reciprocating piston l2 working in said cylinder and a piston rod I3 connected between "said piston and an intermediate portion of said'boom.

A bucket-actuating link I4 is associated with each shovel arm- 6, the forward end of the link being 'pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of thearm asindicated at I6 and the rear end :of the link being mounted to swing about a fixed horizontal axis l1.

' In Fig. 1 the component parts of the loading machine are shown in l the loading position.

When thesbucket 5 has been filled and it is desired to dump the same, this is accomplished inthe followingma'nner: "Air under pressure is suppliedto the left' hand endlof cylinder I0 so that piston I2 is caused to travel to the right and,

in so doing, swings theboom ,I downwardly and rearwardly about the pivotal axis afforded by rock shaft 9. If the supply of air tothe left hand end of the cylinder is continued until the piston makes a full stroke to the right the boom 1 Will be swung to a horizontal position extending rearwardly from the rock shaft 9. During this movement of the boom the links M serve to swing the bucket carrying arms 6 upwardly and rearwardly about their pivotal connections 8 so that, by the time the boom 1 reaches its rearwardly extending horizontal positon, the bucket will be disposed in a dumping position at the rear of the machine. In this connection it may be explained that boom '1 is swung through an angle of approximately 90 about the pivotal axis afforded by rock shaft 9 and that the bucket carrying arms 6 are swung through an angle of approximately 90? about their pivotal connections 8. When it is desired to restore the parts to the loading position air under pressure is supplied to the right hand end of cylinder l0 and the air previously supplied to the left hand end of said cylinder is exhausted therefrom. This causes the piston l2 to travel to the left and, in so doing, to restore the boom 1 to its original vertical position. At the same time the links M function to swing the bucket carrying arms 6 upwardly and forwardly about their pivotal connections 8 so thatby the time the boom 1 reaches its vertical position the bucket 6 is restored to its loading position in front of the machine. v

Air is supplied to and exhausted from the left hand end of cylinder Ill through a conduit having one end connected to the cylinder port 2| of a valve casing 22. A similar air supply and exhaust conduit 23 is connected between the right hand end of said cylinder and a second cylinder port 24 of valve casing 22.

Valve'casing 22 (see Figs. 2 to 13 inclusive) comprises a body section 26 and a cover section 21 fastened together by stud bolts 28 or other suitable fastening means. The cylinder ports 2| and 24 are formed in the body section Y26 and are here shown as L-shaped ports extending outwardly from a valve seat 29 formed by the inner end of the'body section. The body section 26.is also provided with an exhaust port 30 extending outwardly from valve-seat 29. A valve disk 3| is fitted against valve seat 29 and is driven by the inner end of a valve stem 32 which is rotatably mounted in a central opening 33 of body section 26. The outer end of stem 32 (compare Figs. 1 and 2) is connected by crank arm 34, link 35 to a crank arm 36 of rock shaft 9. It will thus beseen that valve disk 3| is mechanically interconnected with piston |2 so that movement of the piston in either direction will effect a cor responding rotary movement of disk 3| about the axis afforded by valve stem 32.

Valve disk 3| is provided with an exhaust port 4|! and two cylinder ports 4| and 42. Exhaust port 40 is always in communication with the previously mentioned exhaust port 30 and the cylinder ports 4| and 42 are always in communication, respectively, with the previously mentioned cylinder ports 2| and 24.

A second valve disk 44 is rotatably seated against the inner side of valve disk 3| and is fitted onto the inner end of an operating stem 45 which extends outwardly through a'bonnet extension 46 of the valve casing cover section 2! and is provided, at its outer end, with a hand lever 41.

Valve disk 44 is provided with an exhaust port 49 which is always in communication with the exhaust port 40 of valve disk 3|. Valve disk 44 is also provided with two port covering vanes 50 and 5| which are separated from each other by a gap 52 and which, respectively, control the cylinder ports 4| and 42 of valve disk 3|. At this point it may be explained that the port covering vanes 5|] and 5| of valve disk 44 control the establishment and disruption of communication between valve ports 4| and 42 and the hollow valve casing cover section 21 which constitute a pressure chamber 21a provided with an air inlet port 21b to which air under pressure is applied from a compressor or any other suitable source.

I It may also be explained here that Whenever one of the cylinder ports 4| and 42 of valve disk 3| is uncovered by its control vane and thus placed in communication with pressure chamber 21a the other cylinder port of said disk will be connected to exhaust port. 40 by the exhaust channel 49 ofvalve disk 44.

The stem 32 of valve disk 3| is formed with a polygonal inner end portion 54 which is fitted in a complementary opening 55 to establish a torque transmitting connection between these parts. Valve stem 32 is also provided, immediately adjacent the polygonal portion 54, with an enlargement 56 havinga conical surface which bears against a conical seat 51 provided at the inner end of valve-stem opening 33. A coil spring 58 is fitted in a bore 59 extending inwardly from the inner end of stem 32 so that said spring is compressed between the central portion of valve disk 44 and the inner closed end of said bore.

Valve stem 45 of valve disk 44 is also provided with a polygonal portion 60 which cooperates with a complementary portion 6| of a stern-receiving socket 6|a to establish a torque transmitting connection-between these parts. Valve stem 45 is also provided with an enlargement 62 having a conical surface which bears against a conical seat 63 provided at the inner end of the bonnet extension 46. A coil spring 65 is also arranged in a bore 66 of stem 45 and is compressed between the inner end of said bore and the bottom Wall of socket 6|a. Spring 65 is made sufiiciently stronger than spring 58to ensure that pressure sealing contact is. maintained between the engaging sides of valve disks 44 and 3| and between the outer side of valve disk 3| and the seat 29.

In explaining the complete operation of my improved valve gear as applied to the control of the air motor shown in the present drawings it will be assumed that bucket/5 and piston |2 are in the position shown in Fig. 1 and that valve disks 3| and 44 are relatively arranged as shown in Fig. 9 so that the cylinderports 4| and 42 of valve disk 3| are completely covered by vanes 50 and 5| of valve disk 44. Since ports 4| and 42 of disk 3| are cut ofi from communication withair pressure inlet 21b (Fig. 1)v and from exhaust ports 49, 40

and 30, it follows that cylinder ports 2| and 24 of valve casing section 26 are completely blocked so that there is no flow of air to or from. either end of cylinder l0. Consequently, piston |2 will be held in the position shown'in Fig. 1. If hand lever 41 is now swung in a clockwise direction to shift valve disk 44 to the position shown in Fig. 10 the resulting partial uncovering of port 4| by vane 50 will permit compressed air to flow through ports 4| and 2| and conduit 20 to the left hand end of cylinder I0 and to act against piston I2 to move the latter to the right. 'At the same time the vane 5| and the exhaust port 49 accuses of valve disk 44 areshi ftedso that port 43 'pro 'vides' a' connecting passage between the cylinder 4'2 'andexhaust port40 -of valve disk 3 This permits air tobe exhausted from "the: right hand end flo'f cylinder throughcon'duit :23; cylinder port 42 and exhaust ports 49/40 and As'the piston l2 travels totheright the" resulting rota-, tionof rock'shaft 9 acts, through the crank arm v and 5| of valve disk, as shown in-Fig'. 11. When this condition obtains thecylinder ports 2| and 24 of'valve casing 22 are again completely blocked so that piston :12 will cometo rest and be held in itsnew'position. Ifiitisdesired'to effect a further movement of piston I2 to the, right the'hand lever 41 is given a'furthermovement in the same direction as before so thatthe port 4l'of'valve disk 3|is again either partially or completely uncovered by the resultingturning movement of valvedisk 44. The angle through which vane is moved in 'a clockwise? direction relative to port determines the distance'which the piston .|2 travels before port 4 isshifted to a position where it is; again; completely covered and blocked 'by s r i ns; When piston I 2 is'to be shifted to the left, -hand lever "41fis swung in an anti-clockwise direction to turn valve disk 44 to a port-uncovering position such, for-"example, as that shown in Fig. '12.

this case vane 5| of disk 44 has been shifted to partly uncover port 42 of disk 3| and vane 50 and exhaust .port' 4913f" disk '44 have also been shifted so that port'49 jpr'ovides af'connecting passage between cylinder port 4| fand'exhaust pcrtf lfl of disk 3|. Under'these conditionsjcom pressed air will fiow from pressure chamber 21a to the right'hand end'of cylinder Ill via ports 42 and-24]"and'conduit '23; At ;the same time the left handiend ofc'ylinder |0 will be connected toexhaiist'via conduit 20, cylinder port' 4| of valve disk 3| and exhaust ports 49, '40 and 3D.

The piston: I2 will thus be caused to travel tothe left until the resulting rotation of disk3l'in an anti-clockwise 'direction has shifted the ports 4| and 42 to a.position (l i'g. l3)' where they are again blocked bythevanes 50 and 5| ofthe p viously shifted disk44,

The lengthof the arc F511 andis predetermined so that the maximum anglethrough which the disk 44 is turned by a full stroke of saidlever'is the same as the maximum angle through which valve disk 3| is turned by thefull strokeof the piston l2. It will also be? apparent that the angle through which lever 4Tjis' turned. to uncover one of the ports 4| and of valve disk 3|" predetermines the angle through which said. disk 3| must be turned by piston l2" toagain cover ports 4| and 42 so that ing or unloading positidn or to some intermediate} positionw However, it will be apparent thatjwith" piston=|2= atone end of'cylinder III, a

single throwmovement"of lever 41 from one end to the other of' qua'drant will result posi- "tioh-ing'thevalve disk 44- s that "the piston will makea-completestroke toward the opposite end o'f th cylinder before'being brought to rest by the resulting-turnin otportsu and 42 to a 'blocked po'sition.-"'

'In-FigJ-M a holding disk 61 is shown interposedbetween-the outer side or valve disk 44 and the adjacent opposing wall 68of' the valve casin cover 'selction 2'|.- Disk 61 is slidably'fitt'ed in a recess 69 and is held against turning movement by dowels-'lllg 'These dowels project outwardly frorn the wall'6'8 to which they are rigidlysecuredflandfitloosely in suitable openings pro- 1 ,vided in disk 61. i Springs 12 are arranged openings "l3 oft-wall '68 so that the inner ends of the springs bear" against the outer'side of disk 61.

- 1 The outer ends-of springs I2 bearagainst plugs 14 p x v thro'ughwhich the hand lever 41 is movable is controlled by the quadrant they are c'ompletely blocked by' the vanes 50' and 51; From this it follows that the angle through which'lever 4;! is moved at each operation determines the distance which piston 2' travels before it is brought to 'rest "and that the direction of of movement of said piston. v, ftheflfcregoing I have described a step by step operation ofpistf'on 2 which 'is often desirasiein o eratihg' the bucket'S to either" a loadr'iiovement of lever 41 determines the direction I which are' screwed into the outer ends of'o'penings -1 3and fmay be adjustedto place the springs under any desired degree of compression. The in er side of disk 61 bears against an annular facing TS formed on the outer side of valve disk 44, said facing being recessedto' provide a central channellfi which is placedin communication with exhaust port '49 b-y" one 'or more-suitable openings H. 4 T heiitility' and advanta'ges'of the modified arrangementdisclosed in Figs. 14 to 16 inclusive lireapparent from the following explanation: Thfiuid pressure supplied to pressure chamber ZId'ca'uses a definite bias on valve disk 44- whose total effect is a thrust between the engaging faces of valve disk 44ian'd valve disk 3|. The amount of this thrust will be the fluid pressure in p. s; i. times the projected area ,of valve disk 44 in square inches; The effect of this thrust will be to pro,- duce' a friction moment which resists the turning motion of valve disk 44 and thusrequires efiort at'the end of hand lever 41 to produce a turnin of disk 44. The effective radius at which the thrust can be considered to act will approximate the mean radius of disk 44' and the friction torque on said disk will be 'Pfr., where P=thrust in pounds, f=fcoeflicient of friction between the en gagingfaces of valve disks 44 and 3|, and 1': mean radius of disk. 4

-It will now be assumed that disk 44 has been turned through a definite angle,-by operation of hand lever 41, to e'stablish connectionthrough which pressure'flui'd is supplied to one end ofthe After lever 41 has been moved to its new position and stopped, the piston actuated 'disk3l will begin to rotate in the same direction and, due to the friction torque exerted between the disks 44 and 3|, will tend to rotate the disk 44; past its stopped position unless the lever 4| is definitely held in position. In the particular application illustrated in the present drawings-itis undesirable to provide lever latching devices or other lever-engaging holding means for retaining the lever 41in its difierent positions of H adjustment. L In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 4 to 16 the use of such lever holding devices is avoided by'the provision of a hold-'- ing'disk- 61'." If holding disk'fil is made of the same material and has the same coefiicient of friction .as' valve" disk 3|, thearea of the annular facing acting on the outer side ofholdin disk 61 will produce a thrust between this disk and the annular facing 15 which is equal to the thrust between valve disks 44 and 3l since the projected areas are equal. The mean or effective, radius of holding disk 61 is made greater than the mean radius ofvalve disk 44. The frictiontorque produced by the stationary holding diskG'l will therefore from some material furnishing a higher coefficient of friction as compared with the material from which the disk 3| is made. In the latter instance the area required for the annular facing 15 on disk could be reduced while still giving an excess of friction torque over that produced by the inner face of disk 44 which is in pressure contact with disk 3 I. The advantage gained from the use of a high coefficient on the annular face of disk 44' is the reduction of total thrust and total friction torque on disk 44 which has to be overcome by effort applied to lever 41.

Having thus described what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of this invention it will be apparent that various modifications may be resorted to within the scopeand spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A valve assembly including a valve casing affording a pressure chamber provided with a fluid pressure inlet, a valve seat forming one defining wall of said chamber, an exhaust port and two distributing ports opening into said chamber through said valve seat, a valve rotatably engaged with said seat and provided with an exhaust port and two distributing ports, said last mentioned exhaust port being in constant communication with the first mentioned exhaust port and each of said last mentioned distributing ports being in constant communication with one of saidfirst mentioned distributing-ports, a second valve rotatably engaged with said first mentioned valve, said second valve being provided with an exhaust channel and with two port-covering elements which are separated from each other by an intervening gap, said exhaust channel being in constant communication with the exhaust port of the first mentioned valve and each of said portcovering elements serving to control one of the distributing ports of the first mentioned valve, means for operating the second mentioned valve toa position such that one port-covering element of said valve is shifted to uncover and thereby place the associated distributing port of the first mentioned valve in communication with said pressure chamber and so that the exhaust channel of said second mentioned valve is-positioned to provide a connecting passage between the exhaust port and the remaining distributing port of the first mentioned valve, means for subsequently operating the first mentioned valve relatively to the second. mentioned valve to change the relative setting of the valves so that both ports of the first mentioned valve are again completely covered by said'port-covering "elements tothereby disrupt the fluid connections previously established by the shifting of the manually operable valve, a disk slidably interposed between the second valve and a wallof the pressure chamber located opposite said valve seat, spring means acting against said disk to hold -the same in pressure contact with the adjacent side of said second valve to hold the latter stationary against of said second valve.-

2. A valve assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said disk engages an annular facing formed onand projecting from the adjacent side of said secondvalve, said facing being recessed to provide a'central channelin communication with the exhaust port of said second valve.

3. A valve assembly including a valve casing affording apressure chamber provided with a fiuid pressure inlet, a valve seat forming one defining .wall of said chamber, an exhaust port and two distributing ports opening into said chamber through said valve seat, a valve rotatably engaged with said seat and provided with an exhaust port and two distributing ports for cooperation with the. exhaust and distributing ports of the valve seat, a secondvalve rotatably engaged with the side of the first mentioned valve remote from the valve seat, said second valve being provided with an exhaust channel and with two port-covering elements for cooperation with the exhaust and distributing ports of the first mentioned valve, a valve stem extending through a central opening in" the valve seat portion of the valveccasing and through a registering-central opening provided in the first mentioned valve, the inner endfof saidcstem-having drivingcengagement with said first mentioned valve and being provided with a socket containing a spring bearing against the central portion of the second valve, a second valve stem extending inwardly through a central opening inthe wall of the pressure chamber opposedto said valve seat and into a socket providedin the central portion of the second valve, theinner end of said stem being indriving engagementwith a surrounding wall portion of said socket and being provided with a recess. containing a spring bearing against the bottom-wall of said socket, and means for independently rotating said valves-inirelation to each other and to said valve seat; .i

4. A valve assembly including a valve casing affording a pressure "chamber provided with a fluid; pressure inlet, a valve seat forming one defining wall of said chamber, an exhaustport and two distributing ports, openingiinto said chamber through said valve seat/a valve rotat ably ,engaged with said seat'and provided with an exhaust port and two distributing ports for cooperationwith the exhaust and distributing ports of said valve seat, a second-valve rotatably engaged with the side of the first mentionedvalve remote from said valveseat, said/second valve being provided with an exhaust'channel and with two port-covering elementsfor cooperation with the exhaust and distributing ports of the first mentioned valve, a disk slidably interposed between the second valve and the wall of the pres sure chamber opposite said valve seat, the side of the second valve opposed to said disk being providedgwith a projecting annular disk-engaging facing recessed to provide a channel incommunication withtlie exhaust channel oji said second valve, springs acting against said disk to hold the Same in pressure contact with said annular facing so that said disk is effective to hold said second valve stationary against the" turning torque to which said second valve is subjectedby the turning movement of the first mentioned valve relative thereto, disk-restraining means serving to prevent rotation of said disk while permitting the latter to have the sliding movement necessary to enable it to be pressed tightly against the an- I nular facing of the second valve by said spring means and means for turning saidvalves in relation to each other and to said valve seat.

EDMUND A. NIX. 

